At tea-time in the U.K. today and lunchtime in the U.S. and dreamtime in Australia we have a Full Moon in Sagittarius, opposing the Sun in Gemini.  If it is going to be a powerful Full Moon effect for you personally, you will already be feeling it and therefore know about it.  It’s the culmination of the three major spiritual festivals according to the tradition of the Lucis Trust, which is based on the teachings of Alice Bailey.  The first festival is Easter Full Moon, then follows Wesak Full Moon which is linked to the Buddha’s birthday.  This current Full Moon is known as the Christ’s Festival or World Invocation Day.  The seed thought for meditation for the Sagittarian Full Moon as given by Alice Bailey (through the Tibetan) is: “I see the goal.  I rech the goal and then I see another”.  Apparently this Full Moon is a transmission of Good Will and used by the Forces of Restoration (headed by an extra-planetary being called the Spirit of Resurrection) to transmit the energy of reconstruction to humanity.  People vary so much in their sensitivity to the Full Moon, and to each individual Full Moon, but there is always something to be resolved at this time because it is based on an opposition.  Today is the first day of a new week, and the first day of the rest of your life, so after the Full Moon there will be a sense of “done that, now it’s time to move on”.  Tomorrow, Monday 8th, Venus trines Pluto which is a profound aspect in terms of relationship, feeling, art and music.  If you are back at work after the weekend, you can put your heart and soul into what you do.  Tuesday (9th) marks an opportunity to examine and evaluate the progress of the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron in your life, because Mercury (the planet of mental focus) makes contact with the Neptune-Chiron component of the conjunction by a square.  This will highlight the illusory nature of what has taken place or been created, and therefore by contrast also highlight what is real.  It will highlight too what has been healed and what still needs to heal.  You may have insight into the meaning of recent events, and if you have been engaged in a project you may see why it was created and how much was as a result of ego, and how much was of true service.  At the same time, Mercury sextiles Uranus (7 minutes beforehand: 9.46 pm in the U.K).   This is the easier bit, showing how there are surprise benefits in the turn of events, and possible other-worldly interventions in order for these events to come to pass (noo…noo…noo…noo…noo…noo…noo…noo…E.T. phone home).  If you are driving back home after an evening out, you may see a U.F.O.  Yes, literally, there were U.F.Os over Cambridgeshire last week, and let us not forget the jelly fish crop circle in Oxfordshire.  Is there some sort of message here about academic competition?  So, to recap, if you are driving back home after an evening out, you may see a U.F.O. creating a crop circle.  The early hours of Wednesday (10th) highlights another feature of this Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron climate, with Uranus semi-sextile Neptune.  Uranus has been semi-sextile with the conjunction, posing a challenge to it, and adding even more complexity to the proceedings.  The Guardian quoted Francine Blake of the Wiltshire Crop Circle Study Group this week who said: “This year started much earlier.  There’s one every day now.  It is very intense already.  I have never seen such complex designs in rape in all my years of studying this subject.  Usually, the season starts with a nice little pattern, a tri-petal flower or such like, one or maybe two in rape if we are lucky.  But this year they are big, complex and numerous right from the start.”   This phenomenon may be down to the triple conjunction.  Going back to the aspect to Uranus, it has taken on the role of arbiter, reserving the casting vote on things, and retaining its right to spring last-minute surprises.  You may be watching U.F.Os, or you may be fast asleep, but something may register in connection with the role of Uranus, the wild card, in your life at this time.  Accompanying music: “Maybe Angels” by Sheryl Crow.  The continuing theme of the decoding of the triple conjunction continues later that day with Mercury squaring Jupiter. Minds will range and roam freely, maybe  a little too freely, interpreting the events of the day.  Some people will feel the urge to literally travel to find out the truth, e.g. crop circle investigators will decide that the virtual reality is not enough.  This aspect will also urge us to see where we have exaggerated the truth in relation to big plans recently, therefore by contrast enabling us to reach a perspective.  If like me you don’t take a step without reading this blog, there are no more aspects and the rest of the week is your own.

If you have tried to contact me through my website contact email lately, and thought I was stand-offish for not replying, you’ll be pleased to know that the problem has been spotted and is now fixed.  Interesting factoid: The problem was due to transiting Uranus exactly squaring the natal Pluto of the website.

Astro-Geek

Last night a group of diverse stars, performing as one, triumphed in the Britain’s Got Talent contest.  It took me by surprise…I had been wondering all week whether a constant parade of fat bellies in the semi-finals was a new trend manifesting the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron in Aquarius.  What else happened last week?  A reminder that we have Pluto in Capricorn to contend with, in terms of the subterranean activity of the Korean nuclear testing.  The act itself was Pluto in Capricorn in nature, and the energy and emotion behind it a negative twist on the triple conjunction, i.e. bombastic action based on a lack of regard for the rest of the world: the arrogance of Jupiter, the paranoia of Neptune, and the wounding of Chiron.  The emotions of the triple conjunction (which is still around, though moving back stage a bit) are difficult enough for groups to contain, though it is very much a group-orientated aspect.  For the individual, such as Aries Susan Boyle to contain, it can be too much, and several times last week from several quarters I noticed the phrase “I am fit to blow” or “fit to burst”.  Before tackling the week’s aspects, I’d like to draw attention to a comment in last week’s blog which underlines the connection between the triple conjunction and the Galactic Centre (26 degrees Aquarius and 26 degrees Sagittarius).  It seems fitting that the triple conjunction could be a key to the Galactic Centre (symbolically our core process) and vice versa.  If one of the pitfalls of the triple conjunction is the inflation of the ego, it seems appropriate to ponder the relationship between false ego and our authentic core.  Mercury turned direct this morning, and that’s good for pondering but not deep processes.  It’s more about getting on with paperwork, essays, coursework, detailed work and other left-brain activities.  I am sure you have some piled up, somewhere.  Mars is also leaving Aries for Taurus tonight (UK time), so direct action will be replaced by slower movements.  Activism will give way to non-violent resistance.  It’s good news for Venus-ruled Taureans who don’t like to be rushed: they will now be able to set the pace according to their own biorhythms. Tuesday (2nd) looks to be the most pleasant day of the week, with the pace again set by Venus which sextiles the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction.  It’s a good day for extravagant expressions of love such as over-the-top marriage proposals, and for musical performances and arts festivals.  Any international initiatives can be based on diplomatic relations (though you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t necessarily make him drink).  Thursday (4th) also looks promising, in a complete change of mood, with Mars trine Pluto.  This is a more energetic aspect, bordering on the coercive (which is where caution is required), but much can be achieved.  The use of energy, will or force can be successful, but needs to bear in mind the karmic boundaries of all concerned, and soul agreement needs to be requested and granted, e.g. if giving absent reiki healing to someone who is not in a position to give verbal permission.  I’m afraid Friday (5th) is a cut-your-losses type of day, with Sun squaring Saturn.  “Let go” may be the mantra to apply, particularly in relation to actions which seemed to work on a physical level the day before, but where now the emotions are not rallying to back up the actions.  Again, you can lead the horse to water…We end the week, on Saturday (6th) with the entry of Venus into her own sign of Taurus.  More Venusian energy accruing now, and a relief for Venus who has valiantly battled her way through Aries, more rough-and-tumble than her natural terrain.  Slow and steady wins the race at the end of this week.  A sigh of relief for the battle-weary.

How is it going?  You are in the middle of the influence of the triple conjunction, now!  Two news items stand out for me this week, out of a few contenders which illustrate breakthroughs arising out of the union of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius.  The first is scientific: research has shown that people with Down syndrome do not develop certain types of cancer because of their genetic make-up, which apparently brings up new avenues for finding anti-cancer therapies.  The other story is sociological, one for human rights: that women were elected as MPs in Kuwait for the first time, four of them!  On a personal level, what area of your life took a step forward this week?  Did you discover a talent you never suspected you had?  Did you strike a memorable deal?  Are your home refurbishments going well?  I paid a visit to the Mind Body Spirit Festival in London, and went in for some Cosmic Healing.  The Festival is still on today and tomorrow, and I do recommend it if you want to soak up the energies of this triple conjunction.  Actually, it is a good week to ask the Universe for healing.  Be bold.  Don’t be shy.  Going forward into this week, it really is more of the same, I am glad for a change to report.  The Sun is shining here in the U.K., as it conjoins with the Moon to form the Gemini New Moon.  Hopes and wishes today can be focussed on communication efforts, and if you know which house that falls in in your chart (3 degrees Gemini) you can fine-tune your focus.  The really, really interesting day this week is Wednesday (27th) when the connection between Jupiter and Neptune within the triple conjunction becomes exact.  Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron form a pyramid of energies in which a hologram of consciousness can be seen or focussed, in a healing situation or building a new construct, among other applications.  Chiron, for all the complexity of its condition, wounds and all, is at ease in this triple conjunction.  It has the good intent of Jupiter,  and the magic and wonder of Neptune.  The three make good bedfellows, for Jupiter and Neptune are also two sides of a coin: Religion and Spirituality.  The bringing together of these two in their highest form and application would erase the need for war.  I am not suggesting that as a species we are grown-up enough yet for peace, but that is the potential of Jupiter-Neptune coming together, and we may see a glimpse of that.  We may see some of the harmony of the spheres impinging on the imagination and courage of world leaders.  In our own lives, too, how about long-standing separations giving way to reunions?  But there is even more to Wednesday, for Mars sextiles Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron – how exciting is that!  Whatever the Universe has recently blessed in your life, or whatever ground you have just gained, is going to take another step forward in manifestation.  If you are working on a large-scale project for instance, you may receive unexpected help.  In the midst of all this excitement, do remember to go and have a lie down.  Some of the planets themselves are going to take a pause and rest for a moment on their laurels.  You, and they, deserve a break, having worked so hard to try to improve things.  On Friday (29th) Neptune goes Stationary, prior to retrograde motion.  If you have been travelling spiritually, you may peak around then, and then start to take stock of the validity of your experiences.   On Saturday (30th) Chiron goes Stationary, also prior to retrograde motion.  Healing initiatives may have reached a peak recently, and also need to take stock and test out the progress made.  So the week ends on a quiet day of rest, after all the excitement and achievements…The triple conjunction turns on its various permutations, with planets going back and forth, into next year, and the progress of this week will show its potential.  But all the time we know there are massive problems going on worldwise and in personal lives, with Saturn opposite Uranus hammering down outworn structures, and Pluto in Capricorn reminding us that the clock is ticking on ecological and financial meltdowns.  But there is some scope for using the good energies and inspirations and philosophies to help with the problematic ones.

The story which has dominated the last week in the U.K. has been the publication of politicians’ expense claims, across all parties.  Not that we are not used to scandal (one politician at a time, please), but it is the shock of finding how low politics (Pluto in Capricorn) and politicians (Saturn reaching its furthest point of retrograde) can sink.  Neptune and Chiron are square to the Sun today, so we are looking the scandal in the face and we are in a deep-seated crisis.  We are at a point of waiting with bated breath (the point where Saturn is stationary today) to see what the response of the people will be on 4 June.  What will the government do?  Do we have a collective philosophy, or will society be divided (across the Saturn-Uranus split)?  Interesting that the issue is about politicians being public servants (Saturn in Virgo)…There may be an area of your life now, in which you are waiting with bated breath this week.  The triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron which takes place this week is to a great extent about revelation, and the Neptune element elicits the truth behind the illusion, sleaze or scandal.  Truth is always better out than in, and we have nothing to fear from truth because it moves us on our path.  Astrologers too will be waiting with bated breath, interested to find out the truth behind the triple conjunction.  Will the anticipation of Sagittarian-style Astrologers be justified?  Or will the caution advised by more balanced Astrologers be wisely heeded?  I am hoping that the connection with Jupiter will bring out the best from Neptune (the truth behind the illusion) and Chiron (the healing which is allowed to take place when the wound is exposed).  The Sun is conjunct Mercury tomorrow (Monday 18th) and Saturn is beginning its reorientation to direct motion, so public scrutiny takes place, and the road to serious change, maybe towards the straight and narrow.  In your own life there may be examination and scrutiny going on in order to soberly reflect on the next step you need to take.  Will Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber be satisfied with Jade Ewen’s brave efforts at the Eurovision Song Contest?  She sang “It’s My Time”, as the North Node was transiting her Sun, very fitting.  The trio for Europe, which included the newly-installed Graham Norton, made a good team.  He and Andrew both have Sun in Aries, and have their Moons conjunct at the end of Leo, currently opposed by the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron.  And they did well on it.  Take heart anyone who has a difficult aspect in their chart from this triple conjunction.  You may not win this week, but you could do well.  On Wednesday (20th) there will be more scrutiny (sigh, you can’t avoid it this week) with Sir Alan Sugar (another Sun in Aries) in the boardroom.  For Mercury squares Neptune and Chiron, and it is a matter of getting down to the finer detail, or trying to avoid it, for the hapless budding apprentices.  The Sun also enters Gemini that day, so again scrutiny and finer detail apply.  The politicians’ expense claims may go under an even finer microscope.  At least the public will be a little more informed for the U.K. local elections.   Meanwhile, more wool will be bought to pull over the eyes, and more veils being drawn, but the general trend is for truth to come out.  On Thursday (21st) Mercury squares Jupiter and sextiles Uranus.  You may be travelling far from home that day.  The journey may broaden your mind and allow new possibilities to filter in, such as why not vote for the Green party?  You may settle on the unusual solution today.  It is certainly a day to investigate new avenues and pathways.  The piece de resistance of the week of the week, or year, comes on Saturday (23rd) when the first union of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron takes place.  This unique trinity of lights, if you have not prepared a special project, could be encapsulated in some creativity on the day.  Carl Jung said: “Whatever is born or done this moment of time has the qualities of this moment in time”.  What are you going to do with it?

You may be itching to get on with this week, but the first astrological event does not take place until Wednesday, and besides with Mercury retrograde and about to return to Taurus you need to get clear on last week before you can proceed.  I know this because I had an unprecedented turn-out at my Customer Service Desk last week, all asking the same questions, and in fact am ordering new carpet set to arrive within the next month.  FAQs:  Why has this been such a tough week? Is it the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction?  (Answer no) Is it the Mercury retrograde?  Is it the Full Moon?  There was a lot of confusion around.  It is true that the Mercury Retrograde event seemed to merge with the tension of the upcoming Full Moon.  But one of my regulars has asked me to reiterate that the larger formation of aspects going on is having a huge effect, so at the risk of boring you…and in the interests of clarity (what effects are derived from what), here is a guide for the overwhelmed:  The Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction is where you are building joyful constructs in your life.  Keep that pure.  The Uranus-Saturn opposition across two areas of your chart is where you are pulled by opposing forces, and where there is dismantling going on of lifestyle structures.  Keep your balance.  Pluto in Capricorn is where you feel most challenged psychologically at this time.  Try to understand the greater purpose for this.  In muddying up the waters, people may fail to act on the good that is coming into their lives, and you need to focus the light and wisdom of the triple conjunction now to see you through less inspiring times.  So don’t allow weeds of negativity and fear to encroach on those parts of your garden which are now coming into flower.  The first peak of the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction is on 23rd May, which is less than a fortnight away, and for weekly bloggers like me just about one blog away!  Back to the week in hand, Mercury returns to Taurus on Wednesday (13th).  You may need to pick up on an old unfinished project from a couple of weeks ago.  By this time you may be feeling “I can’t do everything” but you may clearly see which project is your priority now.  Everything has its time.  There are three days to make headway, before the next set of aspects, which occur right at the end of the week on Saturday (16th).  The first is the Sun squaring Jupiter, but take note that it will in turn be squaring the other two planets of the triple conjunction (Neptune and Chiron) within a few days.  So if you are feeling a sense of excitement and anticipation – and rightly so – just be aware of the point where you might be going over the top.  This is getting some of the negativity out of the way prior to the actual extravaganza on 23rd.  The wild expectations and hype need constant and careful examination, and some last minute pruning.  But hold fast to the general wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’ and plannin’ and dreamin’ for soon after shall come a sign: the Sun sextile Uranus will show up an unexpected rainbow.  Follow the rainbow…but be sure to read next Sunday’s blog for the yellow brick road (preview: stationary Saturn).

Few aspects this week, but that will give you the space to work with what there is, and even the chance to master a couple of perennial chestnuts: the Mercury Retrograde and the Full Moon.  But first, the bigger picture, which is getting more colourful by the minute.  By now hopefully you will be able to identify the influence of Pluto in Capricorn in your life (the really heavy stuff), the Saturn-Uranus opposition (the dismantling) and the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron (the qualified euphoria).  You may be finding extremes: laughter and tears, serotonin-rushes and adrenalin-rushes, all designed to make you more adaptable and open to change.  If you are following my souffle recipe, you may at this stage find a little egg on your face.  Just wipe it off, gently and discreetly, and carry on with the appointed task.  If you are eager to know more about the swine flu crisis, there are many Astrology blogs out there analysing the situation as it unfolds and examining the implications of each significant timing.  At the time of the bird flu epidemic a couple of years ago Neptune and Chiron were already in Aquarius (the sign of the bird totem and element).  It looks to me like the Neptune-Chiron conjunction in Aquarius represents the nature of the current crisis, with a semi-sextile from Uranus providing the out-of-the-blue element.  The current swine flu outbreak erupted around the time of the Taurean New Moon, Taurus representing the pig totem and element.  Back to the week ahead, and Mercury Retrograde which occurs on Thursday.  Be ahead of the game, and get going with your communications from the outset of the week.  In fact, I should have been ahead of the game myself last week and recommended this, but there is still time to do as much talking and travelling as you can muster before Mercury goes retrograde.  You can also do some homework by reading “Mercury Retrograde” by Chrissie Blaze or “Mercury” by Pamela Tyler.  Needless to say, don’t count on smooth-flowing communications towards the end of the week.  The books may help you build fortifications for the week ahead if you so require.  The first aspect of the week comes on Tuesday (5th), with Sun at 15 degrees Taurus trine Saturn at 15 degrees Virgo: more hard graft, and perhaps building up of fortifications.  If you want to build cast-iron structures, fortresses or defences this week, Tuesday is the day to do it.  Liz Greene’s book on “Saturn – A New Look at an Old Devil” is still possibly the classic on the subject.  The Mercury retrograde arrives next, on Thursday (7th).  Remember that the outer reflects the inner, so centre yourself, be calm and clear in your communications (if you still have a backlog, don’t worry about it) and let everything flow from that.  Mercury is revolving in the first degree of Gemini all week…of course my Mayan friends remind me that a week is an artificial construct and does not actually begin on a Sunday morning.  The last feature of the week is the Full Moon at 18 degrees Scorpio on Saturday (9th), which could be hair-raising if you have a fear of Scorpions.  Recommended reading for the run-up to this in order to build your spiritual muscle is “The Labours of Hercules” by Alice Bailey,  something to wrestle with and when you have stopped wrestling everyday cares will seem like a breeze.  Centre yourself again, breathe deeply…and relax.  The Full Moon is a time when even if you are centred there can be panic in groups, especially when there is talk of a pandemic.  The Louise L. Hay affirmation for ordinary flu applies even more here: “I am beyond group beliefs or the calendar.  I am free from all congestion and influence.”  That doesn’t mean you won’t need masks as well.  The Full Moon in Scorpio may put you in touch with some of the issues surrounding Pluto in Capricorn.  Someone recently asked when the Pluto transit finishes, and I said that it doesn’t, if you are continually working on it, and especially while Pluto is in Capricorn.  If you want to get to grips with this aspect of our current experience, three books stand out: first “The Astrology of Fate” by Liz Greene, philosophical but not for the faint-hearted.  For the faint-hearted I would recommend Donna Cunningham’s “Healing Pluto Problems” full of practical and alternative health wisdom, such as flower remedies.  My favourite is “Pluto: The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul” by Jeff Green, who was taught Astrology in his dreams, a book which provides spiritual uplift and gently elicits your own insights.  Just going for a nap…

This week’s aspects are looking like a chequer board: three squares today, two of them involving Mercury, making travel and communication difficult, though they will have healing lessons.  Already I can hear the pitter patter of footsteps leading to my Customer Service desk…honestly, I don’t have a say in the aspects.  But I will try to give a positive antidote to each square this week, in order to deflect some of the complaints.  Mercury squaring Neptune can cause vagueness, mis-understandings and absent-mindedness, as well as complications in journeys early in the day.  The positive?  The tunnel of illusion ends in the emergence into reality.  At the same time Mercury squaring Chiron could bring minor health crises which could be self-inflicted, such as hangovers.  Out-of-hours doctors and Chemists may find themselves busy, as well as herbalists and homeopaths.  The positive?  It’s better out than in, revealing the problem can also show the solution.  Another positive spin I can put on this, is that the peak has already passed by the time you are up and reading this.   However, don’t ignore symptoms or irritations, or let tension build up, for mid-afternoon Mars squares Pluto and confrontation is inevitable.  If you are being honest, be kind as well.  If you need to let rip, pay attention to safety, especially that of innocent bystanders.  The positive?  You now see what you are dealing with, and have the opportunity to exercise self-control.    If you are at a dinner party today, as I will be, just keep your head down and avoid controversial opinions.  Same goes if you are a blogger.  Luckily you have the whole week to recuperate from the consequences of your actions, for there are no more aspects until Saturday (2nd May).  Meanwhile, on Thursday (30th) Mercury enters Gemini, and you will find it easier to talk about what is on your mind, if you have been having to hold back while Mercury has been in Taurus.  Conversation-wise in fact you might find the floodgates opening as others too will be more chatty, and re-discovering their inner Parrot.  They may be more voluble, but the conversation itself may not be of deep quality.  But there will be a sense of releif and release of nervous tension.  Lastly, on Saturday (2nd May), Venus squares Pluto.  I have tried to keep this on your mind, dear regular readers, as it is not an apsect which came and went: it came, and hung around.  So by now you may be well aware of personal emotional issues of a deep nature which need resolution, and hopefully after this last application of the square you may be in a position to start to heal.  The positive?  You find out what a relationship is really made of, and in some cases can experience a rebirth because energy is always recycled.  The wider backdrop of things still shape our lives generally – Pluto in Capricorn throwing light on reality, Saturn opposing Uranus, pulling us in two ways, and the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron in Aquarius highlighting an opportunity in one area of your life.  A cautionary note though – the conjunction between Neptune and Chiron has thrown up the new swine flu virus in Mexico.   Jupiter (usually a benefic) will join that mix at the end of May.   Most of the weekly aspects I post on a Sunday morning in relation to that wider scene are more fleeting and of a lesser consequence. The connections that the outer planets make to your own chart will affect you even more.  So even though there are squares to contend with this week, their effects may not continue beyond the week.  It’s easy to get astrological aspects out of proportion.

Everywhere I’ve turned this week I have seen Vincent Cable, Treasury spokesman and deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat Party: on the bookstands, on the television screen, in my weekend magazine.  What’s going on in his chart?  The South Node is transiting his natal Pluto, sextile his Mercury in Gemini.  This highlights that the man has something worthwhile to say.  His bestselling book “The Storm” decodes the present economic crisis.  He’s a money-savvy Taurean who states that life has taught him that “All things come to those who wait”.  Perhaps it was his Taurean Sun sign, which swayed him in his decision not to run for leader of the Liberal Democrats, as Taureans tend to prefer the supporting role.  He has a breadth of mental vision which is down to his Mercury sandwiched between Saturn (the old style of thought) and Uranus (the new style of thought), a perfect equilibrium or balance for a prominent member of the LibDem party.  Another feature of his chart points to seeing both sides of the political argument or life in general: his Mars squares Saturn and trines Jupiter.  He has a family-loving Moon conjunction with Jupiter in Cancer, and his karmic mission (North Node conjunct Chiron) has a healing aspect.  It’s in Leo, so maybe there is a showbiz side to his aspirations.  He came into the public eye around the time when Mingis Campbell resigned in 2007, when his progressed Sun reached his natal Jupiter.  I do not have a birth time for him, but the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron triple conjunction this year trines his natal Venus.  Venus is the ruler of his Sun sign, and on a personal level this could bring him emotional healing, but as Venus also represents his outlook on money, people are going to take even more note of this in the coming year.  October (Party Conference month) could be difficult for him, with Saturn squaring his Venus then transiting his Neptune, but early in the New Year Jupiter trines his Venus exactly which may restore his balance, financial or otherwise.  He is one to watch, but he’s not necessarily on a conventional career ladder.  I am puzzled by his poorly aspected Neptune (its closest aspect is a square to Venus): his love of dance and association with oil (as Chief Economist for Shell in the 1990s) would suggest a strong Neptune. If he has a Pisces Ascendant or Neptune rising, this may strengthen his Neptune and its roles.  The transit of Saturn to his Neptune in October may reveal more about this mystery: he may commit to Strictly Come Dancing, or there may be news about his links with oil, which tell us more about his life and character, and the meaning of his chart.

Much of the action this week involves Mars, Venus and two of the signs which  they rule (Aries and Taurus).  So it is a week that may highlight the roles of the sexes, how they can adapt and interchange, and gender issues generally.  Within each person, the sexual subpersonalities will be interacting meaningfully this week, too, e.g. your inner male may need to support your inner female, or your inner female may need to evolve into a peaceful warrior.  This week is a minor round, and a step towards peace, in the war of the sexes which has not yet been resolved, in a society still seeking balance.  By the end of the week, there may be a subtle shift of position in your inner territory and possibly this may translate into outer changes as well.  Late tonight in the UK (please adjust your timing if you are reading in other parts of the world) the Sun shifts into Taurus.  We have been working for a month with the primordial male energy  of Aries and Mars, and perhaps been active and productive (mowing lawns, setting up new business projects to impress Sir Alan), and now need to rebalance and take on the feminine qualities and activities of the sign of Venus-ruled Taurus (hosting dinner parties, and emulating the food ethics of Jamie Oliver).  Taurus is a complete change of pace, and in fact cannot be hurried.  It put the “Go Placidly” in the famous poem Desiderata.  This cuspal interchange of Mars-Aries and Venus-Taurus reaches a defining moment on Tuesday evening (again, UK time) with the actual conjunction of Venus and Mars.  For those working literally and stereotypically on their male-female roles this could mean a romantic encounter across a dinner table or crowded room.  But for others it may mean a peaceful centring of their own energies, e.g. the left and right side of the subtle body coming together.  On Wednesday 22nd the energy balance tips again, for Mars leaves Pisces where he was a fish out of water, and regains his inner ram in his own sign of Aries.  It’s a macho sort of day, with a dose of the Apprentice and Aries Sir Alan on our screens in the evening.  It will be interesting to see if the boy’s team wins…Early on Thursday (23rd) Mercury squares Jupiter which is the worst sort of aspect for prospective Apprentices who might be staying up late to watch themselves on TV.  Business and Sales get their wires crossed and costings shoot over budget, and there will be regrets over silly statements made.  All good fun if you are watching, but not if it is your livelihood, so be cautious and pay attention in communications.  The Sun trines Pluto that day, something can be salvaged even if you encountered difficulties late Wednesday/early Thursday.  Something can be made out of nothing, and the phoenix can rise from the ashes.  It is a suitable day for profound change and transformation.  On the morning of Friday (24th) Venus concedes temporarily in the battle of the sexes and enters the male-dominated territory of Aries, but knowing that she will eventually turn the tide when she reaches Taurus, being placid.   She can wait.  And when she is in Aries, she is entitled to be just as selfish as Mars, look after her own interests and have her needs met.  In Pisces, she had been maybe too self-effacing for her own good, though exalted and on a pedestal.  So Friday’s message is “hold your own”, it doesn’t benefit anyone to give away your integrity.  Also on Friday the Sun squares the mean Nodes, which is a karmic feature also requiring integrity and seeing fairness.  Later, towards the evening, Mercury sextiles Uranus which restores some ground to business – a new idea may take hold, perhaps one which you tossed out when brainstorming in the middle of the week.  The ideas will be snappy and their execution will be zippy, so have fun.  The week ends with a placid New Moon in Taurus (at 5 degrees) on Saturday, and hopefully a new way of viewing our relationship to planet Earth.  A feminine note for the end of the week, reminding us to keep the heart open to the solution which benefits all.